By Carl Rossini Jr.
Special to The Texas Catholic
The sport with the greatest growth in participation and achievement at Saint Paul Catholic Classical School in Richardson is not football, basketball, or baseball, nor is it volleyball or tennis. No, the sport does not involve a ball at all — simply a bow and arrow and a target some distance away; it is the ancient sport of archery.
Archery was initiated at Saint Paul Catholic Classical School five years ago by Principal Courtney DeMakas, who shared that the sport is an activity that fosters and reinforces the school’s mission of accompanying parents by providing a comprehensive, faith-based classical education. Archery, DeMakas added, teaches Christian virtues, builds athletic stamina, and promotes skill within an atmosphere of cooperation and fun.
Retired U.S. Army Maj. Doug Jones, who teaches science and math at the school, serves as head coach of the archery program. The coach noted that the sport flourished in Greek and Roman games in the same form as today, and he discussed some of the unique benefits of archery.
“Archery is open to anyone and has our team members from fourth to eighth grade, boys and girls, diminutive or big and strong, with varying athletic ability and coordination, and does not involve a heavy financial outlay,” he said.
Jones also reported that archery is one of the safest sports. The strict range protocol, the training of participants in safe shooting, and the protective gear for archers promote safety.
Jones has enjoyed watching individual archers dramatically increase their personal best scores and watching team scores climb upward. He has led the team members as they encourage, coach, and appreciate one another. Jones shared that his greatest satisfaction has been the growth of the archers in goal setting, mental discipline, teamwork, and self-reliance.
The Saint Paul archery team has 25 members who practice throughout the school year in the school gym — boys and girls of different size, skill, and experience shooting beside each other. The team has traveled to compete locally in such venues as Highland Park, Prosper, and Kaufman. The Saint Paul archery team qualified for the state tournament last year and is shooting for a berth at the national tournament this year.
The school’s archery program is associated with the National Archery in the Schools Program, whose website indicates that there is intercollegiate competition as well as college scholarships for archery. Among the recent collegiate All Americans in archery are students from the universities of Michigan, Virginia, Oregon, and the University of California at Berkeley. There are also many college club and student association archery programs. Furthermore, archery is both an Olympic and Paralympic sport.
Haven Brink, a Saint Paul Catholic Classical School fifth grader, took a moment between classes to reflect on her experience as a member of the archery team.
“I have learned discipline, foresight, and patience while competing in archery,” she shared, before adding enthusiastically, “Also … it’s fun!”
The mission of the Richardson school is to accompany parents on their journey as primary educators to unlock the wonders of God’s creation through a comprehensive, faith-based, classical education. The school’s vision is to enlighten students to truth, beauty, and goodness through a classical education that instills in them the desire to live a virtuous life leading to a deeper relationship and destiny with God.
Cutline for featured image: A student archer draws his bow during a state archery competition, focusing on his target as the Saint Paul Catholic Classical School team competes after qualifying for the tournament. (Saint Paul Catholic Classical School photo)
